Ian Donahue knows a thing or two about small class sizes.
The 21-year-old UC Merced senior from Jesuit High School in Sacramento has been having flashbacks to his high school days of late, especially in courses for his materials science and engineering major, which often have as few as 10 students per class.
The small size of the newest UC campus was a major reason for Donahue’s decision to attend UC Merced, along with the people.
“It just seemed like a place where you could succeed and everyone wanted you to succeed and wanted the best for the school,” Donahue said. “It was so small, and that was definitely a plus. It’s so one on one, and the classes are so small. I feel like if I went somewhere else, I would be just a number.”
The close interaction with faculty members that has become a hallmark of the UC Merced experience has paid off for Donahue. A week before summer school began this year, Donahue walked into Professor Valerie Leppert’s lab and asked if he could have a position doing research.
Donahue had taken classes with Leppert earlier in his time at UC Merced, but he was surprised to find her willing to bring her into the lab on such short notice.
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